Unexpected Redemption
by Theatrefangirl014
Summary: When Apollo's viper is damaged, he is forced to land on a planet with unknown inhabitants. After sustaining severe injuries, he receives help from the most unexpected place.
1. Prologue

**Unexpected Redemption**

(Battlestar Galactica 1978 Fanfiction)

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Battlestar Galactica (1978).

NOTE: I am including a character key so that you will know who is who even if you haven't seen the series.

 **Lieutenant Starbuck** -A hotheaded, short-tempered Lieutenant who is Apollo's best friend and a fellow Colonial Warrior Viper Pilot.

 **Captain Apollo** -A kind and adventurous Captain who is Starbuck's best friend and a fellow Colonial Warrior Viper Pilot; son of Commander Adama, father of Boxey, and brother of Athena and the deceased Zac.

 **Dr. Markus Cyprus** -A character of my own creation; doctor of medicine and science; an inventor; a companion of Talnar.

 **Talnar** -A character of my own creation; a Cylon who unlike all of the other Cylons was created for the preservation of human life; the companion, helper, spy, and best friend to Dr. Cyprus.

 **Fornax** -A character of my own creation; an IL series Cylon who is evil and in control of the Cylon outpost on Corona.

 **Commander Adama** -The commander in charge of the Battlestar called Galactica; father of Apollo, Athena, and the deceased Zac; grandfather of Boxey.

 **Colonel Tigh** -The second-in-command of the Galactica.

 **Lieutenant Athena** -A bridge officer on the Galactica; a Colonial Warrior Viper Pilot; daughter of Adama, sister of Apollo and the deceased Zac; former girlfriend of Starbuck's.

 **Boxey** -A young kid who was adopted by Apollo when his mother married Apollo (His mother since died), grandson of Adama, adopted brother of Athena.

 **Muffy** -Boxey's Daggit. (A Daggit is basically a cute robotic dog).

 **Lieutenant Boomer** -A fellow Colonial Warrior Viper Pilot; friend of Starbuck, Apollo, Jolly, and Sheba.

 **Flight Sergeant Jolly** -A flight sergeant; friend of Boomer, Starbuck, Apollo, and Sheba.

 **Count Baltar** -One of the evil ringleaders of the Cylon Empire; the Count in charge of the main Cylon Baseship.

 **Dr. Salik** -The main doctor on the Galactica.

 **Dr. Wilker** -A doctor of science; the maker of Muffy the Daggit.

 **Medtech Cassiopeia** -A medical technician who works with Dr. Salik; Starbuck's girlfriend.

 **Sheba** -A Viper Pilot formally from the Battlestar Pegasus who is now in love with Apollo.


	2. Chapter 1

**There are those who believe...that life** _ **here**_ **began out** _ **there**_ **, far across the Universe...with tribes of humans...who** _ **may**_ **have been the forefathers of the** Egyptians **..or the** Toltecs **...or the** Mayans **...that they may have been the architects of the Great Pyramids...or the lost civilizations of** Lemuria **..or** Atlantis.

 _ **Some**_ **believe that there may yet be brothers of man...who even now fight to survive-somewhere beyond the heavens!**

 **-Battlestar Galactica 1978 Opening**

"Looks like there's nothing out here, Apollo. I guess we should turn back now," Starbuck said, taking a final look at his scanner.

"Alright, Starbuck. We'll head back and then…" Apollo started.

"Apollo, what's wrong? Can you hear me?" Starbuck asked worriedly.

"I'm here. I thought I saw something on my scanner, but it just disappeared."

"That's strange. I don't see a thing on my scanner."

"It was probably nothing, but yet...," Apollo commented. "Alright, let's go back.

Starbuck and Apollo moved their hands to their viper's joysticks and pressed the TURBO button. Their vipers immediately sped up and started heading back to the Galactica.

After a few minutes of travel, there was an explosion that rocked both of the Colonial Vipers.

"What was that?!" Starbuck shouted.

"A Cylon shooting range….below…hit….." Apollo tried to say, but the static cut out a majority of the transmission.

"Apollo, can you hear me?"

"Yes….how bad?"

"You're breaking up. But, I can see it's pretty bad," Starbuck replied grimly.

"I'm…..land…planet."

"Alright, I'll head back to the Galactica and return with a shuttle. Hang in there, buddy," Starbuck said before leaving him behind.

"Dr. Cyprus, a Colonial Viper has appeared on my scanner," the tall Cylon's robotic voice stated through Dr. Cyprus's intercom.

"Patch me into your scanner, Talnar," the doctor replied quickly. The image suddenly appeared. It showed a single person Colonial Viper approaching the surface at high speeds. "It looks like it is out of control. It must have taken a hit from one of the shooting ranges." He continued to watch as the viper pod launched out of the main viper. When the main part of the viper made contact with the ground, there was a bright flash and a loud explosion. The pod lost all steering and also collided into the ground, causing a great explosion.

"What would you like me to do, sir?" the Cylon asked.

"Warn me of any patrols. We must get that warrior out of there before the whole thing blows sky high." He looked cautiously around and hurried to where the viper pod had crashed.

"There are no patrols in the vicinity at present," Talnar stated.

"Good." The doctor made his way through the maze of viper pieces. When he reached Apollo, he removed his helmet. "Hurry, Talnar."

Talnar made his way to the pilot, picked him up, and carried him to the doctor's cave. As soon as they were safe inside, a loud explosion rocked the ground beneath their feet. Dr. Cyprus looked back to see the downed ship smothered in flames. Turning his attention back to the man in Talnar's arms, he hurried into one of the tunnels that led to a small room and fixed up the cot. "Let me see the replay, Talnar." Talnar set the warrior onto the cot and showed Dr. Cyprus the recorded video of the crash. "Now slow it down and zoom in on the pilot." Talnar did as he was asked, and Dr. Cyprus looked intently at the film, trying to see exactly what happened. "It seems to me that the viper was hit, and the instruments malfunctioned causing the pilot to lose control. When the impact of the main component of the viper came, the bright light from the preliminary explosion blinded him which made him lose control and crash to the ground," he paused for a moment. "Bring me some water and soap. I must clean out some of these cuts on his face." Talnar quickly retrieved the soap and water and set them beside Dr. Cyprus. Dr. Cyprus nodded his thanks and went to work cleaning out the huge gash on his head as well as the small cuts and lacerations on his face and arms. When that was done, he placed two soft cotton pads onto each of his closed eyes. Then he gently wrapped a bandage around them several times so they would not fall off. "We must make sure that he does not open his eyes yet. They could be seriously damaged. By doing this, they will have a chance to heal completely before he opens them. But there is always the chance that he will never see again," he rambled.

"The other Cylons are searching for him."

"They will think he is dead, because everything went up in flames. Hopefully they will continue to believe that and not come to me looking for him."

"What do we do now, sir?"

"I will get him out of these filthy clothes. Then I shall see what his specific injuries are. You must go and see what the Cylons are doing. They mustn't know he is here."

Talnar walked off, leaving Dr. Cyprus to get to work. The first thing he did was take the colonial warrior uniform off the pilot and settle him amongst the covers. Then he went to work consulting his medical books.

"Fornax, we have spotted what appears to be a colonial viper entering our scanners," the Cylon centurion said.

"Send a regiment of troops to find the ship and its unfortunate pilot. I will alert Count Baltar. I am sure he will be quite pleased if we capture a colonial warrior," Fornax (the IL series Cylon) said.


	3. Chapter 2

Starbuck's viper slowed to a stop, and he quickly jumped out, "Where is Commander Adama? I need to speak with him at once!"

Another viper pilot turned to Starbuck and asked, "Where's Captain Apollo?"

"That's what I need to talk to him about."

"Commander Adama's in the bridge."

"Thanks." Starbuck hurried through the hallways and corridors. When he reached the bridge, he didn't see Commander Adama anywhere. Instead Colonel Tigh was in command. "Colonel Tigh? Where's Commander Adama?"

"He's currently entertaining Boxey with Athena in the officer's club. Why do you ask?"

"I don't have time to explain," Starbuck said heading towards the officer's club. When he arrived, he saw that Adama and Athena were intently watching Muffy (the Daggit) do tricks.

"Come on Muffy, roll over!" Boxey shouted playfully. The Daggit whined and rolled over causing Athena and Adama to applaud. "Good boy, Muffy!"

"Commander Adama," Starbuck started.

"What is it, Starbuck? Can't you see I'm enjoying some free time?"

"I know sir, but it's urgent."

"Alright, but where's Apollo?"

Starbuck looked at Adama nervously and whispered, "It's about him."

Adama's playful mood was soon replaced with a serious and worried mood. "If you will please excuse me, Athena, Boxey." Starbuck motioned for Adama to join him in the corner. "What happened?"

"Well, we accidently flew over a Cylon shooting range on one of the planets. One of them hit his ship and damaged it. He had no choice but to land."

"Did you see him down?"

"I couldn't. I didn't have enough fuel to ensure that I would make it back to the Galactica."

"How far away in your circuit was this planet?"

"It was pretty far," Starbuck replied.

"You know we can't slow down the ship or go back. But we can send a shuttle to get him."

"Yes, sir. Right away."

"Starbuck, I'm warning you that you only have 2 centars (hours) to get him. Otherwise the Battlestar will be forced to leave you behind."

"Alright."

"Take Boomer and Jolly with you."

"Talnar, you must keep an eye out for any other colonial warriors. I imagine they will be looking for him. I just hope he lives long enough to see them."

Soon, Starbuck was landing one of the Galactica's shuttles on the surface of the planet. As soon as it was shut down, Starbuck started for the doors.

"Calm down, Starbuck," Boomer advised.

Starbuck wheeled around and exclaimed, "How can I be calm? My best friend is out there somewhere on this planet possibly dying or being tortured by Cylons! How am I supposed to be calm?!"

Boomer and Jolly watched as their friend nervously paced back and forth. "Will you please stop it, Starbuck? You're going to make a hole in the floor," Boomer said good-naturedly, trying to improve Starbuck's mood. Starbuck stopped in his tracks and sighed. "We'll find him, Starbuck. Don't worry."


	4. Chapter 3

"Markus, a shuttle with colonial markings has landed," Talnar stated in his robotic voice.

"Thank you, Talnar. I cannot leave the tunnel again for fear of being spotted by the others. So you must go to the warriors and lead them to me." Dr. Cyprus noted Talnar's hesitation and added, "Of course you will wear the specially designed vest that will protect you from any laser blasters." He picked up the heavy vest and fastened it around Talnar. "God speed, my friend."

"Hold it right there!" Boomer shouted pointing his laser gun at the approaching Cylon.

"You must come with me," Talnar replied.

"Yeah, so you can take us to Baltar's cronies. I don't think so," Starbuck said drawing his weapon. Jolly did the same and still the Cylon didn't move.

"You must hurry. Your friend is in trouble. The others will be here soon."

"Our friend?" Jolly asked. He thought about it and then whispered, "Apollo."

"What have you done with Apollo?" Starbuck shouted threateningly.

"His ship crashed."

"Because of Cylons. It's always the Cylons' fault. Well, now I'm going to make you pay!" He raised his laser blaster, aimed it at Talnar, and fired. But to his surprise, the shot didn't affect him. "What?"

"Hurry, I will take you to your friend. Dr. Cyprus will help."

Boomer turned to Jolly and a bewildered Starbuck. "Do you think it's a trap?"

Jolly replied, "If it is, it's the best trap they ever made for us."

"What do you think, Starbuck?" Boomer asked.

"I…I don't know what to think….I don't understand….I'm so confused," Starbuck stuttered.

"What do you think, Boomer?" Jolly asked.

"I think that it's our only chance to find him, and we should take it." He turned to Talnar and said, "Alright, take us to this Dr. Cyprus."


	5. Chapter 4

Dr. Cyprus paced in the tunnel anxiously awaiting Talnar to return with the warriors. When he saw them he said, "Greetings, warriors! I am Dr. Markus Cyprus, and you have already met Talnar."

Boomer spoke up first, "We were told you know where Apollo is."

"Talnar, please see to the security cameras and notify me of any changes." Talnar nodded and walked further into the tunnel. "I assume you are uncomfortable with Talnar, am I correct?"

"He's a Cylon, why wouldn't we be uncomfortable?!" Starbuck shouted.

"Starbuck, calm down!" Boomer said quite alarmed.

"I can't calm down! Why does everyone keep telling me to stay calm?!" Starbuck shouted getting out of control.

Boomer and Jolly noticed the change in Starbuck's demeanor and hurried to him. They wanted to be sure to hold him back in case he got any more violent.

"Do not worry, I have seen his symptoms. He is in shock. I have a special remedy that I think will calm him down." The doctor moved over to the table and filled a cup with a brownish liquid. "Starbuck, please have a seat and drink this tea." Even though Starbuck resisted, Boomer and Jolly guided him to the chair. Upon noting Starbuck's hesitation to drink, he added, "I promise it's not poisoned. I'm on your side." Starbuck looked to Boomer, who nodded, and took a sip. "Go on, drink it all." Starbuck quickly downed the cup. "There, that's better. Isn't it?"

Starbuck nodded. "Yes, it is."

"Wow, I've never seen Starbuck calm down that fast before. Got any more of that stuff around?" Jolly asked jokingly.

"I'm afraid I have need of the rest," he paused. "I am sure you have lots of questions though, and I am determined to answer as much as I can."

"Isn't Talnar a Cylon?" Boomer asked.

"Well, you need to know a bit of history to know the answer to that. 8 yahrens (years) ago, this planet (Corona) was invaded by Baltar and his Cylons. Many were killed, and the few of us that survived were captured. When they realized that I was a knowledgeable doctor of both science and medicine as well as an inventor, they kept me alive and killed all the others. A yahren (year) after the attack, some warriors from one of the Battlestars landed on the planet and shot quite a few Cylons before they too were shot down. I took one of the Cylon bodies and programmed it in secret to make it for the preservation of human life and not for the destruction of humans. Talnar has become my companion, helper, spy, and best friend."

"But that still doesn't explain why Starbuck's laser didn't kill him."

"I knew that you warriors might find it a little hard to trust what looked to be a normal Cylon. So, I made sure he was wearing a vest that would protect him from laser blasters. He also is equipped with visuals from his scanner that can be shown on my wrist intercom."

"And you came up with all of this on your own?" Jolly asked clearly in awe of the brilliance of the doctor.

"Not all of it. Some of it came from Terra's ancient manuscripts, others came from Kobol's manuscripts, and others still came from Earth."

"Earth? That is where we are headed. Can you lead us there?" Jolly asked.

"Nae, these books were passed down to me from my great-grandfather who was an explorer. It took him many yahrens (years), but he eventually found them. They are my most prized possessions."

"That's very interesting, but where's Apollo? What happened to him?" Starbuck asked quietly.

Dr. Cyprus's eyes darkened as he began to tell the story. "Talnar had seen a colonial viper in the skies. He patched me into the scanner so that I could see it also. It appeared to have taken a hit from one of the Cylon shooting ranges. The pilot launched the viper pod out of the main viper. When the main part of the ship hit the ground, it caused a powerful explosion. I am quite positive that your pilot was blinded and lost control of the pod, which then crashed as well. We got him out and brought him back to these tunnels to care for him."

"May we see him?" Boomer asked.

"I don't see why not, but he hasn't regained consciousness. Follow me."


	6. Chapter 5

"He's over here." The group followed Dr. Cyprus into the next room. What they saw was not what they expected. He was covered in numerous bandages, and he was not moving. At first, they feared he was dead, but soon they saw the gentle rise and fall of his chest.

"How bad is it?" Starbuck asked.

"I can't know for sure until he regains consciousness, but I think he has a fractured skull, probable concussion, broken ribs, a broken leg, and he might be blind." They all fell silent when they realized just how serious it all was.

When Dr. Cyprus noticed that Starbuck was staring at the bandages covering Apollo's eyes he said, "They are a precaution that might save his sight. You must make sure that he keeps them on for a secton (week) after he wakes up. Any earlier might make it permanent."

"What's all this stuff for?" Jolly asked, pointing to the foreign-looking objects on the side table.

"These are what I was able to make according to the information in the ancient books and manuscripts of Kobol, Terra, and Earth. This object is used to measure heart rate," he said as he picked up one of the items. "You put the two ends in your ears, and you put the other end onto the person's chest, then you can count how many times the heart beats. Here, let me show you." He put the two ends into his ears and then knelt down beside Apollo. Then he pulled back some of the covers and gently pressed the other end onto Apollo's bare chest. Before he could show them what the rest of the objects were, Talnar entered. "What is it, Talnar?"

"Fornax has sent for you."

"But he never sends for me this time of day…." When the realization of what was happening hit him, he turned to Talnar and whispered, "Talnar, before I go, I want you to know that all these yahrens (years) I've considered you my best friend and companion. If it comes to the worst, you must carry out the instructions in my will that is here." He handed him a piece of paper. "And you must do everything in your power to get them back to their Battlestar. I am sure that you will be able to go with them, and they can set you free. Goodbye, my friend." He gave the Cylon a big hug and said to the others, "If you will excuse me." Then he turned and hurried along the passageways to the hidden door that led out into his room.

"We can watch on the security cameras," Talnar said flipping a switch. An image appeared on the wall. It was a big room with a tall throne-like chair in the center. Directly in front of the chair stood a tall IL series Cylon named Fornax. In the corner of the room, a group of centurions were leading Dr. Cyprus to Fornax.

"What do you know of the Colonial Viper that landed here, Dr. Cyprus?" Fornax asked.

"What Colonial Viper?"

"Stop playing games with me. I know you saw it, and I know you had something to do with it."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Fornax."

"Fine. I will play along with your little game and tell you what happened," he paused. "A Colonial Viper came into our scanner range and crashed somewhere nearby. But when I sent the centurions to look, they saw that the ship was consumed in flames. But the escape pod had been launched before it ever hit the ground. They found the pod in flames as well, but the funny thing is, there were human footprints all around the crash site."

"And just what are you inferring?"

"You were either at the site of the crash, or the pilot survived, or more likely, you helped the pilot escape before it blew up."

"I'm afraid I still have no idea what you are talking about."

"Centurions, let's see if we can convince him to tell us the truth." The two centurions raised the weapons, but Dr. Cyprus wouldn't speak. "If you refuse to speak then we will kill you." Fornax waited a few seconds then gave the centurions the signal. They both fired their weapons, and Dr. Cyprus dropped to the floor dead.


	7. Chapter 6

"I'm sorry for your loss," Boomer said softly.

"Dr. Cyprus was a good man, and I will carry out his final instructions to the best of my ability," Talnar replied.

"What final instructions?" Starbuck asked.

Talnar unfolded the piece of paper and read the following:

 _My dear Talnar,_

' _Please see that these instructions are carried out. First of all, if any Colonial Warriors or people from other planets arrive on Corona, make sure that you and all my manuscripts, books, and notes go along as well. That information will serve them well._

 _If at all possible, destroy the planet of Corona when you are well away. As you know, there are no humans and animals living here anymore. Now there is only Cylons. You would be doing the Colonial Warriors and other neighboring peoples a favor. God be with you, my friend.'_

 _Signed,_

 _Dr. Markus Cyprus_

"If they know Apollo is still alive, then they probably know by now that we are here, too. We have to find a way back to our shuttle. Talnar, can you see in your scanner if they have found our shuttle yet?"

Talnar looked and replied, "No, they are right outside of the tunnel, still looking around the crash area."

Boomer looked around. "Starbuck, you look after Apollo. Jolly and I will help Talnar collect all the books, manuscripts, and notes that he mentioned."

Starbuck pulled up a chair beside his friend's bed and picked up the only object that Dr. Cyprus had shown them to use and did as he had shown them. When he pressed the end onto Apollo's chest, he heard Apollo moan softly. Starbuck took hold of Apollo's hands and excitedly said, "Apollo."

Apollo moaned again and whispered, "Starbuck?"

"Yes, Apollo. I'm here," Starbuck said, giving his hand a squeeze.

"Why can't I see you? All I see is darkness."

"Don't you remember the crash? You were blinded when the main part of the viper crashed. It may only be temporary, though. Dr. Cyprus put bandages over your eyes to protect them."

"Dr. Cyprus?"

"It's a long story."

"If it's just my eyes, then…why am I in so much pain?"

"You also have a probable concussion, fractured skull, broken ribs, and a broken leg."

"I'm so cold…"

Starbuck felt Apollo's forehead with the back of his hand. "Apollo, you're burning up!" He wheeled around and went into the next room. "Boomer, Jolly, Apollo's awake, and he's burning up."

Boomer and Jolly stopped what they were doing and hurried over to Apollo. Boomer felt his forehead. "Apollo, can you hear me?"

"Where's Zac?"

"Zac?" Boomer turned to Starbuck and Jolly, clearly mystified at his friend's behavior (beings that his brother, Zac, had died several yahrens {years} earlier). "He's not here right now."

"Where's Athena?"

"She's on the Galactica."

"The what?"

"He must be delirious," Starbuck whispered. "We should get him out of here as quick as possible."

"Right. Ok, Apollo. We're going to get you dressed." Boomer grabbed Apollo's uniform and unfolded it. But to his dismay, it was filthy, torn, and unfit for an officer to be seen in. Fortunately, Dr. Cyprus must have known that Apollo would be needing something to travel in and had set a clean and comfortable nightgown on the table.

When Starbuck and Jolly saw Boomer unfolding the blue nightgown, they chuckled and Starbuck muttered, "Boy, is Apollo gonna have a fit when he finds out he arrived at the Galactica in that."

Boomer motioned for them to be quiet. "We're going to help you sit up and then get you ready to go." Boomer, Starbuck, and Jolly gently helped Apollo into a sitting position.

Apollo seemed to be alright, but when they tried to get the nightgown over his bandaged head, he hissed, "Be careful, Athena, that hurts."

After many more minutes of Apollo crying out in pain and delirium, they finally managed to get the nightgown onto Apollo.

"So what's the plan, Boomer?" Starbuck asked.

"Talnar, can you come over here?"

Talnar entered. "What is it?"

"Can you go in and out of the Cylon ranks without being identified as one outside of the garrison?"

"I can. What do you want me to do?"

"Can you create a distraction that takes all of the Cylons away from our shuttle?"

"Yes."

"Then while you're making the distraction, we'll load Apollo and the information into the shuttle. Then you can get in, we'll blow up their outpost, and we'll get back to the Galactica with time to spare."

Talnar nodded and Jolly asked, "Exactly how much time do we have left?"

Boomer looked at his watch and thought for a moment, then he concluded, "Less than a centar (hour)."

"Sir, we are picking up a Colonial shuttle on our scanners. It has landed close to the wreckage of the colonial viper."

"How interesting. Send a garrison to search the area and capture these warriors. I'm sure that would make Count Baltar very pleased," Fornax replied evilly.

"By your command."


	8. Chapter 7

Talnar watched as the ones called Starbuck and Boomer attended to the injured one. He knew that the pilot was bad off, but the way they kept nervously watching him, he could tell that he was getting worse…They had placed a damp cloth on the pilot's forehead to bring the fever down. But this did not stop him from mumbling incoherently in his delirium.

He thought of how their escape would play out. But then a thought occurred to him. _If the other Cylons come to the warriors when they are loading the pilot onto the plane, the pilot would be completely vulnerable and an easy target._ He looked down at his special vest that Dr. Cyprus had made. Then, he knew what he had to do. He would give the vest to the pilot and leave himself vulnerable. He knew it was what Dr. Cyprus would have wanted.

"After I leave, put this vest on him. It will protect him from any more harm," Talnar said.

"But what about you?" Starbuck asked.

"I will be fine."

"Fornax, a centurion has arrived from Count Baltar."

Fornax turned to face his centurion. "From Count Baltar himself? Well, well, send him in."

"At your command." The centurion was gone only a little while before Talnar entered.

"Welcome, centurion. What is the news from Baltar?"

"Count Baltar is angry with you, Fornax."

"Angry with me? But why?"

"His Baseship is at this moment just out of your scanner range, but he has been monitoring this planet and has picked up the humans you seek. They are in the opposite direction that your garrison is searching…But he is giving you a chance to prove yourself a semi-reliable IL."

"I see," he paused. "Centurions, send all available troops in search of the warriors in the opposite direction that they are searching."

"By your command," they replied in unison.


	9. Chapter 8

"The last of Dr. Cyprus's stuff is now loaded on the shuttle including that equipment that he started to show us. I dodged a Cylon patrol on the way, so we'll have to be very careful," Jolly replied.

"Alright, we need to move Apollo now." Boomer said.

"How are we going to do that?" Jolly asked.

"If he can stand, we can help him to the shuttle that way."

"IF he can stand? Didn't Dr. Cyprus say that he broke his leg?" Starbuck asked.

"Yes, but we can't carry him. Then there would be no one to watch our back. It's the only way."

Starbuck nodded and said, "Sure. Is that vest on tight enough?"

Boomer checked it and concluded, "It's tight enough, but it sure is going to be painful to move in that thing with broken ribs. Jolly, you watch our back. Apollo, wake up."

Apollo moaned, "It's too early to be awake, Father. The sun isn't even up yet."

Boomer played along, "I know it's dark out son, but we need to get going." Boomer and Starbuck helped him into a sitting position. "Can you stand up?"

Apollo whined, "I'm too tired, Father."

Starbuck and Boomer put Apollo's arms over their shoulders and helped him to his feet. "Try to walk with us."

As soon as Talnar gave the 'false' message to Fornax, he headed towards the shuttle.

But Fornax was not so easily convinced. "When I contacted Baltar, he made no mention of being so close by…This doesn't seem right. Centurion, send another garrison to where the shuttle landed."

When they were about 25 feet away from the shuttle, Jolly shouted, "Cylons! I'll cover you." The Cylon garrison fired upon Jolly.

Starbuck and Boomer laid Apollo on the ground under the cover of some trees and went to Jolly. They too, fired upon the Cylons. Soon, all of the garrison was down. They hurried back to Apollo and helped him up again. Talnar came towards them with a load of dynamite. They were 10 feet away from the shuttle when the other garrison arrived.

Talnar took hold of Apollo while Starbuck, Boomer, and Jolly tried to hold off the garrison. When they thought all of them were gone, they put their laser blasters back into their holsters. Starbuck caught a glimpse of something in the corner of his eye. It was a Cylon aiming at Talnar and Apollo. "Talnar, look out!" He fired his laser blaster at the Cylon, but it was too late. He had already fired.

Talnar looked up in time to realize what was happening. He stepped in front of Apollo, and the beam hit him hard, causing him to fall to the ground.

Boomer and Jolly ran to Apollo and loaded him into the shuttle while Starbuck ran to Talnar. "Talnar!" Starbuck shouted.

"Starbuck… don't worry…your friend…is safe."

"Talnar…I'm so sorry. I didn't see him soon enough."

"Not your fault…"

"Dr. Cyprus would be proud."

"Goodbye…Starbuck."

"No, Talnar!"

But it was too late. The Cylon's circuits had faded completely, leaving Talnar lifeless.

"Come on, Starbuck! The rest of them are coming!" Boomer shouted.

Starbuck got into the shuttle and whispered, "Goodbye, Talnar."

Boomer closed the door and launched the shuttle. When they were directly over the outpost, Jolly dropped the load of dynamite that Talnar had brought and pushed the detonator. The whole outpost and the whole planet was destroyed in seconds.


	10. Chapter 9

Commander Adama rushed to the landing bay with Dr. Salik, Dr. Wilker, and several medical technicians. Adama had been very anxious and tense ever since they had received the transition. All they had said was that Apollo was hurt and to have Dr. Salik and Dr. Wilker there when they arrived.

"Hang on, Apollo. We're almost there," Starbuck said.

"How is he?" Boomer asked.

"Not good. He's barely holding on. I'm really worried." He was quiet for a moment before he noticed blood on his hand. "His head wound is bleeding again! Does anyone have a rag or something?" Starbuck asked urgently.

"No," they all replied.

Starbuck took off his jacket and pulled off his uniform shirt. He pressed it into the wound to stop the bleeding.

When the shuttle landed, Adama saw what he did not expect to see. He saw his son, Apollo, being placed onto a stretcher covered in bandages and blood. Then behind him, Boomer, Jolly, and Starbuck stood looking more worried, tired, and anxious than he had ever seen them before. Another thing that Adama did not expect to see was Starbuck shirtless while still in his uniform pants.

"Get him to the Life Center!" Dr. Salik ordered the medical technicians. The medical technicians, including Cassiopeia, rushed Apollo to the medical bay at Dr. Salik's command.

Starbuck caught up to Dr. Salik and Adama and explained everything that had happened.

Dr. Salik spoke up first, "So this Dr. Cyprus said not to remove the bandages from his eyes until a secton (week) after he regained consciousness?"

"Yes, and he made it very clear that taking it off any sooner would possibly make him blind for life."

Dr. Wilker had heard part of their conversation and spoke up, "So this doctor had made a Cylon that helped save human life instead of destroying it? Such information would be priceless. Too bad the doctor died."

"Actually, he made us promise to bring back his manuscripts, books, and notes. That may be one of the things he took notes on," Starbuck replied.

"Where are these things?" Dr. Wilker asked excitedly.

"They are in the shuttle, and may I remind you that some of those manuscripts and books were from Kobol, Terra, and Earth."

Dr. Wilker went into the shuttle and brought out pile after pile of books, manuscripts, and notes. "This is incredible." When he came to the bag of instruments, he furrowed his brow and asked, "What are these, Starbuck?"

"Medical instruments. Some of them were his own invention while others are made from the books. He showed us how to use this one," he said picking up the stethoscope-like instrument.

"This is extraordinary!" Dr. Salik said, taking the piece from Starbuck. "I'm going to go check on Apollo now. You weren't hurt, were you, Starbuck?"

"No, Apollo was the only one."

A few centons (minutes) later, Dr. Salik had finished examining Apollo and had managed to stop the bleeding.

"How is he?" Adama asked looking at his son lying unconscious in the life pod.

"It is just as Starbuck said. Fractured skull, concussion, 2 broken ribs, a broken leg, and the possibility of blindness. He is breathing on his own again, though, and it looks like he'll make a full recovery if only he would wake up. He still has a fever, but it is significantly lower than when they brought him in."

The next day, Dr. Salik was pleased to announce that Apollo's fever had broken, and he was showing signs of waking up.


	11. Chapter 10

As the days went by, Apollo made great progress. His body started to heal, and he was moved out of the medical bay and into a real bed. Soon the day they had been waiting for arrived—the day that Apollo's bandages would come off. Commander Adama was there with Athena, Boxey, Cassiopeia, Starbuck, Sheba, Boomer, Jolly, and Dr. Salik.

"Is it bad that I'm really nervous about this?" Apollo asked Dr. Salik.

"Not at all. I am quite sure you will be able to see…Are you ready?"

Apollo swallowed hard and felt someone (he assumed Boxey, his son) squeeze his hand. "Yes…I'm ready."

"Starbuck, I'm going to need your help unwrapping."

"Yes, sir."

Dr. Salik cut the bandage, and he and Starbuck slowly unraveled it until all that remained was the two eye pads. Starbuck took one off, and Dr. Salik took the other off. "Everything will be blurry at first. But if it focuses, your sight will be back to normal."

Everyone held their breath as Apollo opened his eyes. At first, all he saw were blurred colors. But after blinking a few times, the colors separated, and he began to see shapes. Soon those shapes became sharper and clearer. "I can see," Apollo said.

"If you can see, then tell me what you see," Dr. Salik said.

"I see you standing beside me, Athena is standing behind Father with Sheba, Boomer and Jolly are standing behind Starbuck and Cassiopeia, and Boxey is beside me holding my hand," Apollo said as tears of joy started streaming down his face.

"It's good to have you back, son," Adama said as he leaned in to hug Apollo. Apollo, in return, embraced his father.

Dr. Salik cleared his throat. "I hate to ruin this touching family moment, but I need to ask Apollo some questions. That is, if you're feeling up to it."

"Yes…I feel fine now."

"Alright, tell me what you remember about the accident."

"I remember my viper getting hit and wondering where the shot came from. Then I saw the planet and assumed it was a shooting range. Starbuck told me the damage was really bad, then he returned to the Galactica for help. I tried to make it to the planet. I remember entering the atmosphere and thinking that I was going to die. I launched the escape pod and then…."

"Then what?"

"Then I saw a blinding light when it hit the ground. It blinded me, and I couldn't see anything. The last thing I remember was the impact and hitting my head against the dashboard."

"So you don't remember any of your time on the planet or even making it back to the Galactica?"

"I remember bits and pieces. But they don't make any sense. I remember a Cylon, a weird instrument, and Starbuck without a shirt. I admit it sounds kind of crazy, but that's what I remember."

Sheba, Cassiopeia, and Athena giggled, "Starbuck without a shirt?"

"I had a very good reason," Starbuck said. "On the shuttle to the Galactica, your head wound opened up and started to bleed again. No one had a cloth so I used my shirt."

"That explains it," Apollo said as he started to laugh. But, his laughter caused his ribs to ache. "Ouch. That hurts."

"That is normal," Dr. Salik said to Apollo. "Now the rest of you need to try not to make him laugh. You may not understand this, but laughing to a person who has broken ribs is not funny. Now, the weird instrument you were talking about is right here." Dr. Salik picked up the stethoscope-like instrument and handed it to Apollo.

"And it measures heart beat?"

"Yes it does. It is quite ingenious as an alternative to our technology. Dr. Cyprus truly was a learned man to have made this and all the other instruments. We are all very grateful that he sent his notes, manuscripts, and books with us. As you can imagine, Dr. Wilker and his staff are very excited."

"What about the Cylon?"

"The Cylon that you remember was called Talnar. He helped us a lot after Dr. Cyprus was shot. He also is the reason you are here now—he saved your life," Starbuck answered.

"I was saved by a Cylon? How?"

"Well to start off, you had a really high fever and were delirious. You didn't know where you were, what the Galactica was, what was going on, etc. You kept calling for Zac, too. Then you called us Mother, Father, or Athena when we were talking to you. Anyway, Talnar gave you his special laser-proof vest and created a diversion so that we could get you to the shuttle. We were almost there when the other Cylons attacked us. Jolly started firing upon them, so we gave you to Talnar. We thought we had gotten all of them. But then I saw one out of the corner of my eye. He was aiming right at your head….I shouted a warning to Talnar, and then fired at the Cylon. But it was too late, he had already fired….Talnar must have seen it coming, he stepped right in front of you—right in the line of fire. He saved you from certain death."

Adama sat at his computer and narrated his thoughts into his electronic journal. "Today was the day of truth for Apollo. I had been believing the whole time that my son would regain his sight—and he did. So I can finally rest at ease after over a secton (week) of waiting and worrying. He truly is a living miracle. He didn't die in the accident on Corona, but instead was rescued by two total strangers-one Cylon and one man who happened to be a doctor. He didn't die from the fever, but was cared for by Dr. Cyprus. Dr. Cyprus was even killed because he wouldn't surrender the location of Apollo to the Cylon outpost under the control of Fornax. After Dr. Cyprus's death, Talnar looked after Apollo and helped Boomer, Starbuck, and Jolly with their escape from the planet and with the rescue of Apollo. Talnar even risked his life by becoming a distraction to our enemies and leaving his only source of protection with Apollo. Then, when they were almost in the safety of the shuttle, during the Cylon attack, Talnar was there again to protect Apollo at any cost. Talnar gave his life for my son's. God has been gracious. Not only have I regained my son, but I have also gained knowledge from Dr. Cyprus that may yet lead us to Earth. They say the Lord works in mysterious ways, and now I really believe so because of these events. A Cylon that was originally created to destroy human life saved the life of Apollo, and Apollo received redemption from the most unexpected of all.

 **Fleeing from the Cylon tyranny, the last Battlestar,** _ **Galactica**_ **, leads a rag-tag fugitive fleet on a lonely quest...a shining planet known as Earth.**

 **-Battlestar Galactica 1978 Closing**


End file.
